Incubator humidifier



Nov. 9 1926.

1'. K EIPPER INCUBATOR HUMIDIFIER Filed Jan. 14. 1924 Alro T- Keipper Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

ALBERT rgxnr'rrnn, or MILWAUKEE, ISCONSIN.

mounaroa HUMI-DIFIER.

Application filed. January 14, 1924. Serial 'No. "686,218,

This invention relatesto incubators, and is particularly directed. to an incubatorhumidifier. i

In incubators as heretofore constructed difriculty has been experienced in properly regulating the incubator due tothe varying climatic conditions for it is wellknown that unless exact adjustment in accordance with varying atmospheric conditionsis attained, drying out of the eggs necessarily results. The adjustment necessa'ryto secure the best results with the usual style of incubatorsrequires the services of an expert-and inaddition thereto does not take care. of all conditions I i This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, andobjects of such invention, are to provide. a humidifier for an incubator which. will, provide the exact amount of moisture needed. to. prevent drying of the eggs, irrespective ofth-e adjust; ment of the thermostatic control forthe incubator, to provide a humidifier for anincubator which will permit thesuccessful operation of the incubator either in a moist cellar, for instance, or in a dry attic, orgin other Words, under widely Varying conditions both as to temperature of the surrounding air and humidity thereof. Y i

Further objects are'to provide a humidi-v fier for an incubator which may be very cheaply constructed, which requires a minimum of attention, and which may be either built into an incubator or may be attached to standard makes thereof in a simple and easy manner.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view through an incubator equipped with the humidifier, such view corresponding to a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

To illustrate the invention the humidifier has been shown as an attachment to a standard type of incubator, although it is to be understood that the humidifier may be built in the incubator.

The incubator has been shown as comprising an inner compartment 1 and an outer compartment 2 separated by a dead air space, such compartments having a double walled door 3 hinged, as indicated at 4, and provided with one or more latches 5. The upper portion of the incubator is provided with a ventilating duct6 provided with a valve 7 under..sui'table' manual control, the heating unit being omitted for the sake of clearness. The incubator is further provided with an egg tray 8 anda nursery tray 9 in the usual manner. A plurality of I ducts 10 are'prov-ided through the floor. of the incubator ,proper for the admission of .fresh air. therethrough. The entire structure is usually supported by a plurality of uprights or legs ll. .The' humidifier comprises an outer casing 12 having a bottom 13, and is'providedwith' means for securing it to the incubator. For instance, a plurality of brackets 14 may be employed for this purpose. A small door 14 is hingedly mounted, asindicated at 15, and provided with one or more latches 16. This door isv intended to extend the full width of the apparatus and to provide access to the lower portion thereof, although, obviously, the-door v close the entire side or end of the humidifier if desired; v g 7' 1 The humidifier v is divided into a lower compartment 17', an intermediate compartment 18 andan upper compartment 19, such latter compartment beingclosed by the bottom of the incubator. These compartments may be conveniently formed by means of the partitions 21 and 22. A water pan 20 is carried within the lowermost compartment 17 and is adapted to be removed through the doorway of such compartment for refilling or cleaning. The lowest partition or floor 13 is provided with a central aperture 23 and the water pan 20 is provided with a tube 24 aligning with such aperture and providing a central duct for the incoming fresh air. The next partition 21 is provided with a plurality of apertures 25 arranged in rows adjacent the marginal portion of such parti tion. The next partition 22 is provided with a single central aperture 26. It isto be noted in this connection that the ducts or passageways 10 of the incubator are usually provided adjacent their marginal portions as illustrated.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :-The incoming: fresh air passes .upwardly through the central aperture in the bottom partition 13 or bottom portion of the humidifier, through the duct in the wa' then passes through the plurality of OPBII'.

ings 25 into the compartment 18 and is homogenized or intimately mixed with any unsaturated portions of air that may have passed into the apparatus thus providing the desired humidity. This action is further increased by the passage through the centralaperture 26 into the next compartment l9 and thus outwardly towards the marginal portions thereof. The air then passes upwardly through the ducts 10 into the incubator.

It is to be noted that if the exterior air is relatively humid very little additional moisture is picked up in its passage over the pan, but if the exterior air is relatively dry considerable moisture is picked up during the passage of the air over the surface of the water in the pan. Thus the device is substantially automatic in. its action and retains a certain predetermined humidity for the incoming air independently of any cli matic or atmospheric conditions. Thus the device is eminently suited for use under widely varying conditions and will prevent the drying of theeggs and will maintain the requisite humidity.

It will be seen that the device is admirably suited either to be manufactured as an attachment to be applied in an easy and simple' manner to incubators, Or is adapted to be built into the incubator by the manufacturer.

It is obvious that if desired air could be brought into the compartment 17 from the correct moistening of the air by the time it arrives at the openings 10 through the floor of the incubato Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim: p I n 1. An incubator comprising an upper compartment adapted to receive eggs, means providing access to said compartment, a plurality of spaced division walls below. said compartment, said walls having alternately marginal and centrally located apertures, a bottom compartment below the lowermost of said partition walls, said bottom compartment having a floor provided with an aperture, a laterally removable water pan provided with a short tube adapted to align with the aperture in the floor of said' bottom compartment, and a door extending across said compartment and adapted to permit the outward sliding of said water pan, whereby said water pan may be freely're moved and refilled.

2. An incubator comprising a compart ment for the reception of eggs, a lower compartment having a plurality of transverse partitions provided alternately with marginal and central apertures, a bottom' for said lower compartment having a central aperture, a water pan located in said lower compartment and having a duct aligning with said, last mentioned central aperture consin. ALBERT TQ. KEIPPER. 

